Page 15 of Black Wing and Shadows
I forced myself upward, careful, steady, stretching as far as I could to haul my body higher. The top loomed close. I lifted my right leg toward the next stone, toes brushing its edge. The rock gave under me, crumbling, my foot slipping out from under my weight. My stomach lurched as the wall bit into my fingers.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
It was only one foot. I hadn’t fallen yet. I still had this. I adjusted my left foot outward and placed my right toes on it. Both hands clutched tightly on the jagged ledges in front of me. I looked down to find a place where I could bring one foot up. I spotted a more stable rock to my left, so I lifted my left foot and stepped onto it, leaving my right foot hanging for a moment before finding a nearby rock to use. I pulled my right foot up andreached above me for the next rugged rock, trying to pull myself forward. Beau reached me and offered his hand, helping me pull myself upward.
Selene chased close, closing the gap, already halfway up. I glanced forward to check the path—and her scream tore through the air.
I snapped my head back. She lay crumpled on the ground, Jeremy pinned beneath her. My chest tightened. Shit. Not good.
“How bad is it?” I shouted down.
“I think she has a dislocated shoulder, which is going to make getting up this harder…” Callum said.
“What about Jeremy?” Beau asked.
“I am fine, my leg will be sore,” he said.
“Any ideas on how we are going to get her up here?” Asher asked.
“Anyone pack a rope?” Beau looked around. “Didn’t think so.”
“Ophelia has the most Healer training. Anyone have an undershirt she can make a sling out of?” I asked. I also received extensive Healer training, as my mom was a Healer, but I was on top of the wall.
“I do.” Asher pulled out a shirt and dropped it.
Ophelia motioned to Callum to hold Selene in place, as she came to her side and did a quick pulling motion with her hand on the top of her shoulder. She got her arm wrapped into place.
“I have an idea… it is probably crazy but it’s the only one I got,” Callum said.
“Um, okay,” Selene said through soft tears.
“I am going to put you on my shoulders and climb. I’ll need you to lean towards the wall and be steady, so we don’t fall backwards. Once we get up enough, they will lift you up,” Callum said.
I certainly hoped this would work, because it definitely wouldn’t end well if it didn’t. My mind raced through all the ways this could go badly. He knelt down, and she perched on his shoulders, then leaned forward against the wall, using her uninjured hand to steady herself. He started to climb with a slow place. Moving his feet one by one, rather than maintaining a wide stance. He moved his arm up and pulled himself up, and I saw her sway back slightly. I gasped, my stomach dropping.
“Damn it, you need to hold steady and keep the lean forward.”
She caught a rock and hauled herself higher. He paused, drew a breath, then climbed on until Asher and Beau could reach down and pull her the last stretch. Once she stood with us, I checked her wrap, tugging to make sure it held, then pressed my fingers to her wrist—pulse steady, strong. Callum came up right after her. The other four scaled the wall without trouble and joined our line. The sun bled toward the horizon, shadows stretching long, and my stomach growled loud enough to make my mouth water.
I pulled food from my rugged pack and started eating, sparking a chain reaction as everyone else followed suit. Each of us had saved something from our sacks the night before. We kept moving forward, our steps steady and purposeful. As we walked, we heard a low murmur of voices behind us. Damn, another squad was catching up. Everyone in our group noticed the squad gaining on us, so we quickened our pace to stay ahead.
CHAPTER 7
We reached the summit of the mountain, which was a vast, open field. A flood of emotions surged through me: victorious, joyful, exhausted, sad, and excited. It was a bittersweet moment. My knees buckled as I sank to the ground, and tears silently spilled down my face. We weren’t the first to arrive. Tenth squad had beaten us. Did they sleep? I looked around the mountaintop to take in the scene. Tenth squad sat in a circle a short distance from the path. The sky was dark, illuminated only by the moon and the stars shining brightly. Torches dotted the field, casting enough light for us to see each other and move freely. Eleven crates sat nearby, one of which was already open, and I guessed that it contained our food.
“Hey guys, food is over here,” Beau yelled. He noticed them at the same time I did.
We all walked over to the crates. None of them were locked or had notes, so we opened one and grabbed sacks one by one. We moved away from the path and sat down in a circle like the other squad had. It was the same meal as the night before. At this point, it was better than nothing.
“Same as before, save some for tomorrow. I know we are starving and barely functioning, but rationing is key,” Asher said. I nodded in agreement.
I was starving but knew I had to save some food for tomorrow. The hike down would not be any easier, especially with Selene’s arm wrapped tight and the need to descend two treacherous rock walls. By the end of the evening, we moved at a much slower pace than we started, with complete exhaustion. We lay on our mats, trying to get some much-needed rest. Periodically, we heard another squad arrive at the top, grab their food, andsettle in. In minutes, my eyes got heavy, my arms twitched, and I drifted off to sleep.
Wingbeats pounded, followed by a screech so sharp it split my dream in two. For a breath I couldn’t tell if it was real—until the ground shuddered beneath me. My eyes snapped open.
I shot to my feet, scanning the dark. Shit. A firebird. She towered nine feet, feathers blazing orange-red, each plume lit like flame. Her cry ripped through the air. It was deafening, rattling my skull until my vision pulsed.
Around me, cadets scrambled upright. More wings approached, the sound lighter, quicker than the firebird’s heavy strokes. Pascal dropped from the sky, landing beside her, and the truth hit hard—he was Drusearon. I hadn’t processed that before. Ramuel slid from the firebird’s back and moved to stand shoulder to shoulder with him. “If you are standing here, you made it halfway through the pass. Now, everyone, drop and do pushups until I tell you to stop,” Pascal yelled over the field.
